Mayhew, Miss. (June 4, 2013) – The Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) will launch its Model Contractor Development Program (MCDP) workshop series on Thursday, June 20, 2013, at East Mississippi Community College’s (EMCC) Golden Triangle Campus, located at 8731 S. Frontage Road in Mayhew, Miss.

The nine weekly workshops, designed to teach small contractors and businesses practices that will improve their company’s operations and increase their bonding capacity, will be held on Thursdays through August 22 in the school’s Center for Manufacturing Technology.

This workshop series is being held primarily in an effort to inform and prepare small businesses and contractors for the opportunities that will arise from the recent announcement that Yokohama Tire Corporation is locating a commercial tire manufacturing facility in West Point, Miss.

“The MCDP workshop series is a beneficial resource provided by MDA to help Mississippi’s contractors prosper in today’s economy. The announcement that Yokohama is constructing a commercial tire manufacturing plant in West Point will present numerous contracting opportunities for Mississippi’s small businesses and contractors,” said Bob Covington, MDA Minority and Small Business Development Division director. “This workshop series will teach business practices that will position them to better take advantage of those opportunities and many more, while also helping them achieve success well into the future.”

The program is offered free of charge and is open to all small contractors and businesses, but participants must enroll or already be enrolled in the Mississippi Contractor Procurement Network system (www.mscpc.com) in order to attend. Additionally, each company’s representative must agree to attend seven of the nine sessions to successfully complete the course.

The East Mississippi Community College workshop series is being sponsored by MDA, The Surety and Fidelity Association of America, the Northeast Mississippi Contract Procurement Center and J5 Construction.

Seating is limited, so interested parties are encouraged to register early. To register, visit www.mscpc.com, and select “Events Calendar” and then “June 20, 2013.” For more information about the MCDP or to register by phone, please contact Latonia Shirley with MDA’s Minority and Small Business Development Division at (601) 359-6678 or Bill Burge at (662) 329-1077.

###

About Mississippi Development Authority
Mississippi Development Authority is the State of Mississippi’s lead economic and community development agency. Nearly 300 employees are engaged in providing services to businesses, communities and workers in the state. While the agency is best known for its efforts to recruit new businesses to Mississippi, the Authority provides services to promote tourism, help communities improve their quality of place, help existing employers identify and meet opportunities and challenges and help workers improve their skills – all with the goal of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of Mississippians. For more information, visit MDA’s website at www.mississippi.org.